Assam floods: 21 die in single day, total toll reaches 31
In one of the highest single-day flood-related fatalities recorded in recent times, 21 people lost their lives across four districts in Assam on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The latest deaths bring the total toll in the current flood wave to 31, with nearly half of the fatalities reported from the eastern district of Sivasagar.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the situation worsened after a brief respite on Tuesday evening. Floodwaters inundated 872 villages across 16 districts, affecting 5.65 lakh people and damaging 24,210.35 hectares of cropland. Only five of the affected districts lie outside the eastern part of the state.
The adjoining districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat remain the worst affected. Of the 21 deaths reported on Tuesday, 13 occurred in Sivasagar, five in Charaideo, two in Golaghat, and one in Jorhat. An ASDMA official noted that Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat account for 25 of the 31 total flood deaths, with the remaining six reported from Dhemaji, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Sonitpur districts.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the sudden deluge to a cloudburst upstream. He is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas and relief camps in Charaideo, Sivasagar, and Jorhat on Wednesday, July 22, to review relief operations.
The ASDMA reported that two eastern Assam rivers, the Dikhow and the Disang, were flowing above the highest flood levels at certain stretches. Three other rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Dhansiri, were flowing above the danger mark. By Tuesday night, 12,284 people had moved into 71 relief camps, while over one lakh others relied on 202 relief distribution centres for basic supplies.
The flood has also damaged 33 roads and a bridge in Golaghat, and six embankments have been breached, compounding the hardship for affected communities.
